


Torpedoes, Land Mines, and Other Weapons of Moderate Destruction

by indiefic



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Jack was not shot at the end of season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 22:37:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10863531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiefic/pseuds/indiefic
Summary: Jack’s a compassionate guy.





	Torpedoes, Land Mines, and Other Weapons of Moderate Destruction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roboticonography](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roboticonography/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Robot!

 

Jack looks up from the paperwork in time to see Daniel close the door.  The frown is firmly affixed on his face as he gingerly sinks down into the wooden chair on the other side of Jack’s desk.

“About damn time,” Jack says, leaning back, sizing up Daniel.  He looks like shit.  

Daniel sighs.  “I’m here.  Now cut to the chase and tell me what was so important I had to travel more than two thousand miles to hear it from you in person.”

Jack purses his lips together and nods.  “Let’s just say I’m done cleaning up your messes.”

Daniel blinks at him and then gives him a sour frown.  “I didn’t realize you were intimately involved in the day to day operations of the LA field office, Jack.”

“Don’t play coy, Danny boy,” Jack says, propping his feet on the edge of his desk.  “We both know what I’m talking about.  I can’t look the other way anymore.  It’s bad for morale.  Especially now, with all the brass nosing around the SSR.  I don’t know what the issues are, but man up and take care of them.”

Daniel screws his eyes together and takes a deep breath.  He finally looks at Jack.  “It’s been a long day, and I’m too tired for games.  Spill it.”

Jack drums his fingers on the desk.  “Carter.”

Daniel shrugs.  “What about her?”

Jack cants his head to the side.  “Look, you know I’m not one to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Daniel makes a noise.

“ _ But _ ,” Jack continues, before Daniel can start pissing and moaning, “I can’t cover for you anymore.  We’re quickly approaching critical mass.”

Daniel’s forehead pinches together.  “What does this have to do with me?”

Jack shakes his head and drops his feet back to the floor.  He’s tried to be delicate about this.  Maybe Daniel lost more than his leg out there.  Jack leans across the desk.  “I’m talking about the fact that Carter’s knocked up,” he snaps.  “I don’t know what the hell happened between you two in LA, but fix it.  I can’t have her waddling around the office, looking like she might pop out a little Sousa any second.  I run a tight ship.”

Daniel blinks.  “Peggy’s pregnant?”

“I’m not one to comment on a lady’s figure,” Jack says, ”but since Carter ain’t a lady, yeah.  She is.”

Daniel just sits there looking stunned.  “She didn’t ... I mean - “ he tries.  He looks more than shocked.  He looks like his feelings are hurt.

“ _ Oh _ ,” Jack says quietly.  Holy shit, he didn’t even consider that ... “I mean, I knew Wilkes was sweet on her, but I didn’t think - “

“She and Wilkes didn’t - “ Daniel says hotly, then stops.  He frowns.  “I mean, Peggy and I were together.  For a while, but - “

Jack is shocked, in spite of himself.  “She was never going to tell you.”

“ _ Jack _ ,” Daniel nearly yells.  “Stop.”  Once he’s apparently satisfied that Jack isn’t going to interrupt, Daniel says very quietly.  “It’s not mine.”

Jack nods.  Carter’s too damn smart for her own good.  “That’s what she wants you to think.”

Daniel growls.  “It’s not mine, Jack,” he says again.  “There’s  _ no way _ .”

Jack leans back in his chair, considering.  “You and Carter didn’t?”

Daniel frowns and glares at him.

“Not even any ... heavy petting?” 

Daniel looks at him, aghast.  “Are you trying to give me a talk about the goddamn birds and bees?  Jesus Christ.  I know where babies come from, you ass.”  He lowers his voice to a near whisper and hisses, “What I’m telling you is there’s no way I’m the father of Peggy’s kid.”

Jack slumps back in his chair.  “Well  _ shit _ ,” he says, frowning.  “What the fuck am I going to do now?”

“Yeah,” Daniel says, nodding.  “Peggy’s pregnant and single.  I mean, obviously, the biggest question here is what  _ you’re _ going to do, Jack.”

Jack frowns at him.  “I like Carter as much as the next guy.”  He stops, grins.  “Well, maybe not  _ quite _ as much as the next guy.  She’s a gigantic pain in the ass, but she’s a hell of an agent.  But the bottom line is that I can’t have her in the office.  Not in her state.”

Daniel frowns.  “Is she okay?”

Jack shrugs.  “How the hell would I know?”

Daniel sighs.  “You could ask her.  You are her boss.”

Jack shakes his head.  “You may go in for all that touchy feely bullshit, but that’s not my thing.  Besides, it’s not like she’d tell me if there was a problem.  You know how she is.”

Daniel looks over his shoulder and glances around the bullpen.  “Where is she?”

“Out,” Jack says.  “Said she had a doctor’s appointment.”

Daniel nods.  “We need to talk to her.”

“Yeah,” Jack agrees, “best to get it over with.”

“It?”

“Canning her,” Jack says, rising to his feet.

Daniel’s face is blank with shock.  “Jack, she’s pregnant.”

“Exactly.”

Daniel shakes his head.  “You can’t just throw her out on her ear.”

“What do you want me to do?” Jack snaps.  “I’m not running a charity here.  There’s a whole mess of top brass headed in for a meeting first thing tomorrow morning.  Word is they’re looking to restructure the entire organization.  The accidental bun in Carter’s oven may torpedo her career, but it sure as hell isn’t going to torpedo mine.  Everyone needs to know I’m willing to make the tough calls.”

“You’re a piece of work, Jack, you know that,” Daniel says sourly.

“And what would you do in my position?” Jack demands.  “Knowing you, you’d offer to marry her anyhow.  Claim some other guy’s bastard as your own.”  He shakes his head.  “Nah.  That ain’t me.  Carter got herself into this mess, she’s going to have to figure out how to get herself out.”

 

* * *

 

Despite their best efforts, Jack and Daniel don’t manage to find Peggy.  They have better luck looking for steak and bourbon.  Jack’s surprised that Daniel doesn’t drown more of his sorrows.  Despite his obvious irritation with the situation, Daniel doesn’t seem to be nursing a broken heart.  Maybe Daniel’s wising up to the fact that Carter’s more trouble than she’s worth.

Jack wonders how the hell Carter managed to get herself in such a goddamn mess.  She really could be a hell of an agent if she could follow orders for five goddamn minutes.  

She’s her own worst enemy.  

In a perfect world, Jack would go easy on her.  But this isn’t a perfect world.  Peggy knows that as well as he does.  And even though he likes her, in spite of everything, he can’t make exceptions.

She brought this on herself.

 

* * *

 

Daniel is sitting in Jack’s office when he arrives the next morning.  “You look like shit,” Jack tells Daniel as he hangs his hat on the coatrack in the corner, before moving to his desk.

Daniel gives him a dirty look, but straightens up in his chair, adjusting his tie.  “I left messages for Peggy, but she didn’t return any of them.”

Jack takes a sip of coffee.  “Yeah,” he says.  “It’s probably because she’s busy.  The Washington brass are here and she got pulled into a meeting this morning.”

Daniel really sits up now.  “You saw her?”

Jack frowns and shakes his head.  “No.”  He takes a breath and admits, “I didn’t know anything about it until Marsh mentioned he saw them all in the elevator.”

Daniel’s brow creases.  “So you don’t know what this is about.”

Jack shrugs.  “My bet is the brass beat me to canning her.”  He sighs.   _ Shit _ .  He was going to take care of this all quietly.  Before anyone’s reputation got ruined.

 

* * *

 

Jack spends most of the day running from one fire to the next.  He still hasn’t been called in to meet with the head honchos, which makes him nervous.  

Daniel tags along with him for most of the day, but Jack hears him asking around about Carter any chance he gets.  So far, no one seems to know anything about the closed door meeting.

It’s past six when Daniel walks into Jack’s office.  Jack looks up at him.

“We need to go over to her apartment and talk to her,” Daniel says.

Jack leans back in his chair sighing.  Under normal circumstances, there’s no way he would be willing to dip his toes into the mess Carter’s made of her life, but these aren’t normal circumstances.  And Jack really wants to know what the hell the brass wanted with her.  He gets to his feet and grabs his hat.  “Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

“You’re sure this is the right place?” Daniel asks, looking around the hall.  There’s not much lighting to speak of, one dim bulb in the stairwell that does almost nothing to light the hallway.  

“Where do you think she should be living?” Jack asks with a snort.  “You know what we pay her.”

Daniel frowns.  “The Griffith seemed like a nice place.”

“Yeah,” Jack agrees.  “For young women with impeccable morals.  You and I both know that ain’t Carter.”

Daniel doesn’t say anything and Jack moves to the apartment door.  He glances over at Daniel before knocking once.  They stand in the hallway, waiting.  Jack can hear someone moving around inside the apartment, but there’s no light from under the door.  He knocks again.  “Come on, Carter.  Open up.”

He looks over at Daniel.  They can still hear someone inside, but it doesn’t sound like they’re walking to open the door.  Jack never figured Carter for a coward.  

Daniel starts to move forward and Jack steps back, making room.  Daniel knocks quietly on the door.  “Peggy, it’s Daniel.  I left you a message earlier.  Jack and I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Jack rolls his eyes and is slightly mollified when no one opens the door.  He bangs on the door again.  “Marge!”

Daniel gives him a dirty look, and Jack just shrugs.

“What if she’s hurt?” Daniel asks.  “What if something happened?”

Jack wants to brush off the suggestion, but they both know Peggy far too well to rule it out.  She excels at getting into trouble.  And for the first time in all of this, he really does start to wonder if Carter is in over her head.

Daniel looks pointedly at the door.  “Lock doesn’t look too strong.”  Jack frowns at him.  “You’re the one who said she looks ready to pop.  What if something happened to her or the baby?  Just consider how bad it’ll look if you could have done something to help and didn’t.”

Jack sighs.  Probably the only thing worse than having a pregnant agent on his payroll is having a  _ dead _ pregnant agent.  He avoids really considering how he’d feel if something actually happened to Carter.  “Let’s find the super.”

Daniel arches an eyebrow.  “You afraid?”

Growling, Jack elbows Daniel out of the way and kneels in front of the door.  Despite the lack of lighting, It’s only a matter of moments before the lock clicks over.  Jack stands up, giving Daniel a tight smile.  He reaches for his sidearm.

“You gonna shoot her?” Daniel asks.

“It’s Carter we’re talking about,” Jack bites back.  Something’s not right here and it has Jack on edge.  Cautiously, he reaches for the doorknob and turns it, pushing the door open.

Jack’s shoulder is jolted as the door comes to an absolute stop.  The door is only open about six inches.  Jack’s eyes immediately fix on the hand gripping the door.  It is an obviously male hand.   _ Shit. _

Jack steps back, aiming his weapon, adrenalin crashing through his system.  “Carter!” he bellows.

Slowly the door opens.  The lack of light in the hallway, combined with the lack of light in the apartment, conspire to make the guy a fuzzy outline.  Jack grips the pistol tighter.  Daniel has his sidearm leveled at the guy too.

“Easy, fellas,” the guy says carefully.

“ _ Peggy _ ,” Daniel calls.

“Why doesn’t everybody just calm down,” the guy says.  “Peggy’s fine.  She’s as- “

“What in the bloody hell is that racket?”

Jack relaxes the tiniest amount.  That is definitely Carter.  She doesn’t sound injured.  She sounds irritated.  What else is new?

“You have company,” the guy says.

“Company?”  The guy steps back into the apartment and Peggy barges past him out into the hallway.  She looks from Daniel to Jack, the incredulity on her features visible, even in the poor lighting.  “Did you break into my apartment?”

“We were afraid you were hurt,” Daniel says quickly.

Jack holsters his weapon, concentrating on that to avoid having to look at Carter.  She seems fine.  And while Jack is uneasy about the guy lurking in the shadows, it’s pretty clear she isn’t.  Any lingering fear he had over Carter’s safety is quickly morphing into irritation at this ridiculous situation.  “He was afraid,” Jack says, nodding in Daniel’s direction.  “I was just curious.”

“I’m fine,” Peggy says, pulling the shirt she’s wearing tighter around herself.  The shirt is long, hitting her at the knees, but it’s obvious she’s not wearing much under it.  It’s a man’s shirt.  Probably belongs to the guy who opened the door.  Odds are he’s also responsible for why the shirt strains so much across her front, despite being a half dozen sizes too large.

“Well, we ...” Daniel starts and then trails off into silence.

“Jesus Christ,” Jack says into the void.  All these goddamn  _ feelings _ are enough to make a guy sick.  And as much as Jack wants to find out about the meeting, he doesn’t like being at such a disadvantage, what with Carter’s hulking friend watching.  “Listen, Carter,” he says, “it looks like you and junior are fine, so we’ll be on our way.”

Jack starts down the hallway, but immediately notices that Daniel isn’t following.  Before Daniel can say anything to embarrass himself, Jack slaps him on the shoulder and pulls him along.  “Later, Carter,” Jack calls over his shoulder.

 

* * *

 

Jack takes the final swallow of his drink and sets the empty glass down on the table.  He looks over at Daniel, who is frowning into his scotch.  

Daniel looks up at Jack.  “I didn’t get a good look at the guy.  Did you know ‘im?”

Jack shakes his head.  “Hard to tell in the dark, but no, didn’t ring any bells.  Wasn’t anybody from the office.”

Daniel nods.  He sighs.  “For the record, she didn’t look like labor pains were imminent.  She’s what?  Six months, maybe?”

Jack shrugs.  “I wouldn’t know.  But that’s some insight you got there, Danny.”

Daniel gives him a sour look.  “I have sisters.  And fifteen nieces and nephews.”

“Well, look at it this way,” Jack says, “at least you won’t have to keep running into her at work.  Carter’s out for good.  She and ...” Jack trials off, having no idea what to call the guy.  “They can head back to England.”

Daniel frowns.  “He didn’t sound English, Jack.”   
Jack shrugs, like he didn’t bother to notice.  But Daniel’s right.  The guy didn’t sound English.  “Come on,” Jack says, “drink up.  I paid good money for that.”

 

* * *

 

“I thought you were on a plane,” Jack says, as he sees Daniel waiting for the elevator that leads up to the SSR offices. 

Daniel shrugs.  “I was,” he says, “but Rose left me a message last night that there’s a big all hands meeting here this morning.  I’ll catch a later flight and hear it first hand, rather than waiting until I get all the way back to L.A. and reading the brief.”

An all hands meeting?  Jack didn’t know anything about that, but he’s not about to admit that.  He nods.  “Yeah, probably right.”  He wonders if it has something to do with Carter.  Jack had a bad feeling about that guy last night.  It’ll be just his luck if Carter went and got herself killed in the last twelve hours.

Jack and Daniel take the elevator upstairs.  Jack doesn’t even make it to his office.  Looks like the entire New York office, as well as high ranking staff from a number of the field offices are milling around the bullpen.  Jack parks himself on the edge of Myers’ desk and waits.  He definitely isn’t worrying about Carter.  Daniel’s got that covered.

Jack doesn’t have to wait long.  The crowd makes room as the doors are thrown open and the bigwigs start making their way inside.  Howard Stark leads the pack, but he’s not paying much attention.  He’s speaking heatedly to some big guy in civilian clothes.

Daniel leans over.  “That’s the guy from last night.”

Jack arches an eyebrow and takes a closer look.  Sure enough, that could be the guy who was lurking in Carter’s apartment.  He’s chummy with Carter’s pal, Stark.  And Phillips leans over and say something to him, before clapping him on the shoulder.  Jack’s never gotten anything nicer than a bitter frown out of Phillips.

He ignores the relief he feels when he notices that Carter is there.  Of course she’s there.  Her friend Stark is here, along with the guy from last night.  Jack knows she’s gone and made a mess of her life somehow, and odds are Jack’s going to have to clean it up.

As Phillips moves to the head of the pack, conversation in the room dies down.  Daniel elbows Jack in the side and then nods to Carter.  It takes Jack a minute to pick out what has Daniel so worked up.  But then he sees it.  The diamond ring on Carter’s finger.

“She’s married,” Daniel says under his breath.

Jack nods.  Looks like Carter’s got some of her mess sorted out.  Maybe.  Married already?  Sure, it looks like they got a jump on the honeymoon, but how well does Carter even know this guy?

“I appreciate you all making it in on such short notice,” Phillips says, looking less appreciative than any human Jack has ever seen.  “I’m not going to beat around the bush.  The Strategic Scientific Reserve was integral in helping the Allies defeat the Nazis.”  He pauses.  “But times are changing, and we have to change too.”

Jack has a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.  An announcement of this magnitude wouldn’t happen without a lot of official vetting and meetings.  Whoever the hell is going to be in charge of this show, it sure as hell isn’t going to be Jack.

“As of zero six hundred this morning,” Phillips says, “the SSR is no more.  It has been replaced by a new, as yet unnamed, division that will be led by Director Rogers.”  

Rogers?  Jack looks at Carter’s guy again.   _ Holy shit _ .  That’s Captain fucking America.  “Steve Rogers,” Jack mutters.

Daniel frowns and then looks at the guy again.  Daniel’s eyes go wide for a moment.  “He’s alive?” he hisses.

Jack shrugs.  Apparently the guy isn’t dead.  And while Jack isn’t about to be star struck over a guy who was a soldier - a damn good one, but still a soldier, same as Jack.  At least the brass is taking this move seriously if they’re making such a show of things.

But it all feels a little convenient.  Carter’s dead boyfriend is back, and in charge of the SSR.  Meanwhile, she’s busy incubating a smaller version of him.  Carter has some of the best instincts Jack’s ever seen.  But even she isn’t immune to being blinded by emotion.  What if this guy is another plant?  Fenhoff managed to do a number on the entire New York office.  What if the Russians have the entire SSR in their sights this time?

“Now, most of you have already met,” Phillips continues, “but for those of you living under a rock, let me introduce you to your new director, Margaret Rogers.”

Jack just blinks.  What the hell?

 

* * *

  
  


After things disband, Jack goes back to his office, and closes the door and blinds.  He grabs the bottle of scotch out of the bottom drawer and puts his feet up, drinking straight from the bottle.  He’s a quarter of the way through the bottle when Daniel enters without knocking and sinks down into a chair.  

“Glad you stayed for the announcement?” Jack asks, handing the bottle to Daniel.

Daniel doesn’t say anything, but he accepts the bottle and takes a long pull. 

“Well, I guess we know who Carter moved on with,” Jack says idly.  He frowns.  He was so sure this was a setup.  “I thought he was dead.”

“Apparently not,” Daniel replies glumly.  He takes a deep breath and looks at the bottle again.  After a moment of hesitation, he picks it up again and takes another drink, wincing as he swallows.  He sinks back in the chair.  “They’re moving HQ to Washington.”

Jack arches an eyebrow.  “Says who?”

“Says Director Rogers,” Daniel says with a frown.  

Jack just looks at Daniel.

Daniel shrugs.  “What else am I going to do?  She’s our boss.  And we did break into her apartment last night.”

Jack shakes his head.  “What a waste of time.  Turns out Carter was run ragged because she was busy stealing my job.”

Daniel frowns at him.  “I must have missed the part where you were director of the SSR.”

“You know what I mean,” Jack says.  

“Shoulda and a nickel will buy you a cup of coffee,” Daniel says blandly.  “Besides, you know she’ll be good at the job.”

“That’s not the point,” Jack snaps.  “It was my turn.”

Daniel opens his mouth to respond, but there’s a knock on the door.  

Slowly, the door opens.  Steve Rogers is standing there, looking at them.  “Can one of you fellas tell me which desk was Peggy’s?”

“Uh, yeah,” Daniel says, pushing himself to his feet.

Jack gets to his feet as well, and follows them both out into the bullpen.  It’s mostly deserted.  There’s some reception up on eight.  “It’s this one here,” Jack says, motioning to the desk.  You can’t even see the top of it through all the clutter.

Rogers frowns.  “Okay, thanks.”

“Jack Thompson,” Jack says, holding out his hand.

Rogers takes it.  His handshake is firm, but not bruising.  Daniel also makes his own introduction.

“Sorry,” Rogers says.  “I should have done that.  Peggy talks about you both so much it feels like I already know you.”

Jack arches an eyebrow.  He’d love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.  He clears his throat.  “Well, she hasn’t said a word about you.”

Rogers doesn’t react to that at all.  His expression is indecipherable.  It must be those acting lessons they made him take.

“So how long have you been ... back?” Daniel asks, frowning.

“Uh, a while,” Rogers says carefully.

“At least six months ago,” Jack says darkly.

Rogers gives him an irritated look, but doesn’t say anything.

Jack crosses his arms over his chest.  “If she’s Director Rogers, then you’re married.  Nice of you to man up and take care of that before she has the kid.”

Rogers frowns and shoves his hands in his pockets.  It has the effect of making his shoulders seem even broader.  Jack thinks this should give him pause.  But it does not.

“What would you have done if she had that kid early?” Jack demands.

Daniel grabs Jack’s upper arm.  “Come on, Jack.  I think we should go back to your office.”

Jack pulls his arm free.  “No,” Jack snaps.  He turns to Rogers and stabs him in the chest with his index finger.  “What would you have done?  Are you going to make it a habit of shirking your responsibility.”

“I didn’t shirk anything,” Rogers says, his voice quiet and carefully controlled.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at,” Jack says, “but Carter deserves better.”

“That’s rich,” Peggy says, interrupting the conversation.  “Considering you were trying to fire me.”

Jack turns and frowns at her.  “Only because I care, Carter.”

Peggy rolls her eyes, but smiles.  “I'm sorry I made you worry, Jack."

Jack huffs.  "I wasn't worried.  Sousa had that covered."

Peggy doesn't look like she believes him, but she says, "All the same, once we’re in Washington, please refrain from getting shitfaced at your desk, okay, Jack?”

He blinks at her.  “Washington?”

“Of course,” she says.  “You don’t think I’d leave you here to wither in the backwaters of New York.”

He opens his mouth to reply, but has nothing to say.  She’s really taking him with her to Washington?

“Daniel,” she says evenly, “see if you can’t sober him up.”

“Sure thing,” Daniel says.

Jack is still standing there as Peggy rifles through her desk, finding whatever it was she sent Rogers after.  She smiles up at Rogers and then slips her arm through his as they both head for the door.

Daniel punches Jack in the shoulder.

Jack frowns, rubbing his shoulder.  “What the hell was that for?”

“How the hell did you manage to turn that into a promotion?”

Jack shakes his head.  “Obviously she understands the value of what I bring to the table.”

Daniel snorts.  “Come on, let’s go find a cup of coffee.”

 

END STORY


End file.
